COVID-19 Update from The Electric Connection

Posted on March 19, 2020 | by K Hopkins

Coronavirus Statement

All of Our Electricians Have Been Vaccinated Against COVID-19

los angeles coronavirus covid As a valued customer or potential of The Electric Connection, we wanted to post and let you know that we are paying close attention to all updates from the CDC and local officials concerning COVID-19 (“Coronavirus”). Our highest priorities continue to include the welfare and safety of you, our customers, as well as our employees.

As electrical contractors, we have been classified by government agencies as a service business that should remain available to meet the needs of the public, so until circumstances change we will continue to remain open for business. However, we are doing our part to minimize potential risks related to any concerns with regard to Coronavirus.

We have addressed with our electricians the critical importance of safe practices and sanitation and have supplied our crews with face masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, and other disinfectants. We have instructed all employees to stay home if exhibiting symptoms of the flu or cold, and have told them not to enter homes or businesses where customers are symptomatic of this virus. Additionally, we have instructed our employees to greet customers verbally but to avoid handshaking and to physically keep a reasonable distance from others while on any job site. We thank you in advance for your understanding in these matters.

Our office employees continue to be reachable by phone and email during our normal office hours of 8 am – 5 pm Monday through Friday by setting up a phone and computer communication system that allows our office personnel to work from home. Thank you for choosing The Electric Connection for your past and ongoing electrical needs and we welcome any questions or concerns you may have.

Los Angeles COVID-19 Resources:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information from CDC
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Symptoms & Testing from CDC
California Coronavirus (COVID-19) Response

Is cloth-covered wiring a safety concern?

Posted on March 12, 2020 | by K Hopkins

cloth covered wiring safety If you are planning to purchase an old home or you are already living in one, then chances are you may have seen cloth-covered wiring in the home.

Electricity was discovered in the 1800s, and it was not until the 1900s it became common in homes and buildings. As you might imagine, technology hadn’t gotten so far either, so cloth-covered wiring seemed like a good solution at the time. It wasn’t until the 1960s that plastic covered cables were introduced.

So, is cloth-covered wiring a safety concern? Short answer, YES.

Cloth-covered wiring served as standard insulation during those early times and kept homes running on electricity for several years. However, in recent times, the drawbacks and dangers of cloth-covered wiring have become more obvious and dangerous. Cloth-covered wiring is also quite outdated and out of standard.

Some risks posed by cloth-covered wiring include its vulnerability to being chewed by rats and insects and getting worn or torn over time. Either of these will cause the wire underneath to be exposed creating a major fire hazard.

Cloth-covered wiring is also associated with what is known as knob and tube wiring. During the time that cloth-covered wiring was popularly used, knob and tube wiring was the standard method for running these wires through homes. The knobs and tubes in question were made of ceramic and used to run the wires through the walls. These installations are prone to breakdown, do not supply enough power, and do not carry the safety features of modern wiring methods like grounding.

In addition, some cloth-covered wiring was further insulated with asbestos paper. When wear and tear or brittleness occurs, the asbestos may breakdown releasing its hazardous particles in the air. Asbestos is a known carcinogen to humans and extremely dangerous. All of these contribute to why cloth-covered wiring is a safety concern.

What you can do

The good news is you don’t have to take your purchase elsewhere or abandon your home for safety reasons. Cloth-covered wiring can easily be replaced by professional electricians. A whole-house rewiring will eliminate the presence and dangers of cloth covered wiring.

What is required?

A professional electrician is a first and most important factor in a whole-house rewiring project. The electrician will inform you of what is needed including the cost. Whole house rewiring can be a bit demanding financially but it’s well worth it for the electrical safety of your home, family, and appliances. You will get an all-round improved electrical system with the current electrical standards, grounding, new electrical panel, three-prong outlets, and GFCI outlet protection against shocks and much more.

How do you pull a new wire through a wall?

Posted on March 6, 2020 | by K Hopkins

Wiring a home under construction or during a remodeling project is easy, mostly because the walls are accessible. The real difficulty comes when you are trying to pull a new wire through a wall – an already existing wall.

Ideally, this is something you can do with some electrical knowledge and a step-by-step procedure. Here’s how electrical technicians get it done.

Tools you need

Stud finder
Drywall saw
Electricians fish tape
Wire stripper
Electrician’s tape
Auger bit or drill
Cable

Wiring Steps

Before diving into any electrical work, it is crucial to shut off power to that area completely. Go to your electrical panel and turn off the power. To ensure you have proper lighting without electrical power, carry out this project during the day.
Ensure there is a clear path to thread the wire through by using the stud finder to check for studs, pipes, or obstacles in the wall. Plan your route with this.
Next check the attic, basement, or crawlspace to confirm you have a clear path for threading the wire.
On the main floor, identify where the wire will exit. Draw the outline of a box and ensure it is in line with others you have before. For example, if you are fishing the new wire through an outlet, check that your outline is on the same level as others. This is usually 12-18 inches above the floor. Use a drywall saw to cut out the hole following the outline. After cutting the hole, use a drill or auger bit to drill through the wall plate. Repeat similar procedure with the drill in the attic or basement where you would like the wire to enter through.
Tape the fish tape tightly to the cable and make sure you have excesses or enough wire and fish tape to grip. Slide the wire through the opening. It is easier to fish a new wire through a wall if you have someone on the other side to help you pull on the wire if anything happens. Fish the wire gently by pulling at short intervals on one end while your helper feeds more wire from the other end.

If you run into any roadblocks, you will have to repeat the earlier process of drilling another hole in the wall to fish the cable’s free end.

To make it easier to pull the wire you can employ a method that professional electrician’s use. Coat the cable with a lube product. This lubrication makes the cable slippery and easier to pull while protecting the sheathing from tearing.

If the procedure is just too difficult or time-consuming for you, the best option is always to call a professional electrician.

Avoiding Electrical Overload In Your Home

Posted on February 28, 2020 | by K Hopkins

electrical overload los angeles What is an electrical overload?

When too much current passes through your electrical wires, you may experience an electrical overload. When this happens, the wires may heat up and melt which may result in a fire starting.

Appliances like televisions, microwaves, hairdryers are the highest power-consuming devices in the average home. The power consumption can go higher once you start thinking of lighting and other smaller devices. A high number of devices will lead to many electrical circuits on your electrical panel.

You run the risk of having an electrical overload once you begin to draw too much power from an electrical source or circuit. While different buildings have different designs, circuit breakers or fuses are often employed to prevent electrical overload. A fuse will burn itself out to perform its job and will need a replacement once it has done so. With circuit breakers, they only trip off if a lot of electrical current is drawn.

Steps to Take to Avoid Electrical Overload

There are a few steps that you can take yourself to avoid the occurrence of an overload.

Know what circuit powers what device. Identifying what circuit your highest power consuming devices are is the first step. A single circuit is usually dedicated to most of these devices. Such devices include furnaces, toasters, hairdryers, refrigerators, and microwaves. Once you have identified these circuits, it is necessary to pay particular attention to them and avoid connecting other devices to them.

Avoid having too many connections to one circuit. Having a lot of devices drawing power from a circuit can cause an electrical overload. In most situations, you do not know how dangerous it is until the fuse burns out or the breaker trips off.
To find out what device is connected to a particular circuit, you could turn off one breaker after the other while turning on each device. This will help you determine where each connection goes on your board.

Note how much power a circuit can supply. You should only connect the appropriately rated device to an equally rated circuit. With a rated voltage of 120 volts, a 15-amp circuit can only supply power of 1800 watts, anything more is an overload of the circuit. Put this in mind when connecting devices to a circuit. It is recommended that you do not load up a circuit to its maximum rating, this will allow for the connection of other irregularly used devices.

Add more receptacles. At the Electric Connection, we find that most people do not consider getting new receptacles until the old ones burn out. This is wrong. You should get more or better receptacles once you realize that the present ones cannot supply all the electrical power you need. Getting a new outlet will offer you more options in terms of circuit connections and will help reduce downtime in case there is a damaged outlet.

If you are adding new receptacles, you will likely need the help of an electrician. All electrical safety procedures should be implemented before this is done. Contact The Electric Connection for the installation and to ensure you have enough space inside your panel to handle the load. If a panel upgrade is necessary, we will be able to assist as well!

Great Tax Return News for EV Owners!

Posted on February 26, 2020 | by K Hopkins

If you purchased an EV between 2018 – 2019 or plan to buy one in 2020, we’ve got exciting news for you!

Congress recently enacted a retroactive federal tax credit available to electric vehicle owners. If this is you, you’re eligible to receive this credit of 30% of the purchasing and installation cost of an EV charging station.

Residential owners can expect a credit of up to $1,000 while commercial installations can receive up to $30,000. This credit originally expired in December of 2017 but has been extended through December 31, 2020.

Lost your paperwork for your charger installation? No sweat! If The Electric Connection of Los Angeles installed your EV charger, just give us a call at (818) 446-0888 or email us at service@electricconnection.com and we’ll be happy to help out!

Check out the US Department of Energy’s website for more information on the tax credit.

Want more information on how you can obtain this credit? Take a look at IRS Form 8911 by visiting the IRS Forms and Publication website. (Reference Public Law 116-94, Public Law 115-123, Public Law 114-113, 26 U.S. Code 30C and 38, and IRS Notice 2007-43(PDF))

Is Cloth Covered Wire a Fire Hazard?

Posted on February 20, 2020 | by K Hopkins

house rewire signs Electricity has been with us for decades. The industry continues to make new discoveries and update on former methods and as a homeowner, it might seem tasking to keep up. The good news is with every innovation comes safer, more efficient, and convenient electrical systems. You get to enjoy all the benefits still.

Cloth wiring

It might seem strange to some, but if you have an old home, it’s possible you have cloth wiring. Cloth wiring is exactly what it sounds like. They are wires sheathed or insulated in cloth. They are easy to spot because of the clothed exterior. This type of wiring can be found in homes wired anytime from the first half of the 20^th century.

Yes, at the time they seemed like a good idea and served their purpose. But as the industry progressed it quickly became clear that cloth wiring posed several risks to homes.

How did cloth end up on wires?

Electrical wiring of these modern times is often covered with PVC insulators. This protects from shock, short circuits, and arcing. These insulated cables are then run as a group into multiple-conductor cables or individually but still within a protective conduit. Plastic which is an ideal insulator for copper was yet to be invented at the time electricity was. Hence, all of these described above was unavailable. Cloth became a grand option.

In cloth-covered wiring, the conductors are first insulated with an early plastic better known as vulcanized rubber. After this, they were wrapped in braided cloth. They worked until the drawbacks set in.

Is cloth wiring a fire hazard?

Short answer – Yes. Long answer – It’s more than that.

Cloth wiring presents all sorts of dangers, especially in these modern times. For starters, the outer cloth sheath is prone to deterioration and so is the inner vulcanized rubber. Cloth wiring is also not only out of date but an easy target to be chewed on by rodents and rats. All of these leave the wires within exposed. This exposure can lead to arcing, short circuits, shocks, and ultimately fires. Electrical fires caused up to 440 deaths and 1,250 injuries every year for the period of 2012 – 2016. Even now, it leads to over $1.3 billion worth of property loss each year.

Having cloth-covered wiring might indicate your electrical system is not properly grounded. Older homes were improperly grounded at that time, and this poses even further risk to your home now.

What to do about cloth covered wiring?

If you notice you still have cloth covered wiring, it is likely time to consider an upgrade/rewiring project. It is a demanding project both financially and practically but in every way worth it for your safety and the safety of your property. An upgrade will provide you with replacements of any other aging material, a better electrical panel, GFCI outlet protection, grounding, modern three-prong outlets, and more.

If you are unsure about having cloth wiring in your vintage home, you can contact us here at the Electric Connection for an inspection.

Electrical Cord Safety

Posted on February 16, 2020 | by K Hopkins

Electrical cords are the cause of a lot of accidents and injuries around the home. The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) estimates that about 4000 injuries and about 3300 homes have fire accidents as a result of misusing extension cords. There have been around 50 deaths and 270 people injured because of these incidents.

The most common cause of injuries is from tripping over these wires. This has resulted in fractures, contusions sprains, bruises, and lacerations. There are situations where the victims had to be hospitalized.

You do not want to be part of these statistics and the Electric Connection offers some tips on how to use extension cords properly.

Use extension cords temporarily and not as permanent fixtures. If the cords are used and taken away, the chances of you or others tripping over them are reduced drastically.
Do not overload an extension cord. The ratings of an extension cord indicate how much load it can carry. Knowing this will guide you on what kind of devices and how many devices you can connect to the cord.
Use the cord for its indicated use alone. An outdoor extension cord should only be used for outdoor purposes and vice versa. Outdoor cords are usually thicker and built to withstand weather conditions. Using the appropriate cord will help protect you from harm and reduce potential dangers.
Check each cord before you plug it in. You should inspect the cord for damages such as frayed wires or bent plugs. You should also check for anything that could lead to electrical shocks. If a plug is hot, do not plug it in.
Run extension cords in open spaces. When you are passing a cord, avoid running it through walls or ceilings. This will help reduce the chances of the cords overheating and posing a fire hazard.
Avoid placing the cords in places where the insulation might be damaged. There are situations where people run their cords between doors or windows or place them under home furniture. This is wrong as this might cause damage to the wiring and damage the insulation, leading to electrical hazards.
Use cords in areas with the least amount of people. Passing a cord through a door or a walkway poses the threat of someone tripping over it as these are routes people pass through a lot. You should run your cords along paths with the least human traffic.
High power devices are not to be connected to extension cords. Microwaves, heaters and the likes draw a lot of power and should be connected to outlets directly and not through cords. This will ensure your cords do not draw more than their rated power.

You should only buy extension cords suitably rated for the load you want to power. If you are connecting multiple devices to an extension cord, you should ensure that their total load doesn’t surpass the cord’s rating.

The Electric Connection can and will provide professional assistance for electrical situations around the home. You can contact us for additional details and questions.

Our Electricians Appreciate Your Feedback

Posted on February 8, 2020 | by K Hopkins

electrical reviews Feedback is a vital part of any company’s growth and progress and at The Electric Connection, our electricians appreciate your feedback. We constantly seek to hear your thoughts on your experiences, our services, and the things you think we could do better or cut down on. This information is of great value to help us serve you and all our customers better.

Why your Feedback is Important

Your feedback goes a long way to help us improve our services. At the Electric Connection, we strive to provide only the best electrical service and leave our customers satisfied and happy. With your feedback on how you feel about this service or your experience with our electrical technicians, we can always better understand what works and what doesn’t. Your opinion lets us know if we are meeting or perhaps exceeding your expectations and these negative or positive words help us serve you better.

The Electric Connection is a customer-focused company and so we consistently measure your satisfaction. If you are satisfied you can always depend on us for your electrical needs and refer our services to friends and loved ones. Your feedback ensures that we do not disappoint when you refer us. We keep all our customers happy with the information we get from them.

Our company is all about us and you. We want you to rest assured that we value your opinions and appreciate your feedback.

Your feedback can come in any form such as a review, a message to us when you call or and an email, or fill a feedback form. We take all comments and any information you leave seriously as it is how we can hear your opinions.

We believe there are always ways we could do better and that is why we value your feedback so much. All requests are taken into consideration. We have a highly efficient system and transparent procedure that helps us prioritize your feedback after evaluation and even combine them with our insight and ideas for top-notch results.

Part of our culture is listening to our customers. Our electricians appreciate your feedback.

The Electric Connection Earns 2019 Angie’s List Super Service Award

Posted on February 6, 2020 | by K Hopkins

The Electric Connection Earns 2019 Angie’s List Super Service Award
Award reflects company’s consistently high level of customer service

Los Angeles, CA, 2/6/2020 – The Electric Connection is proud to announce that it has earned the home service industry’s coveted Angie’s List Super Service Award (SSA). This award honors service professionals who have maintained exceptional service ratings and reviews on Angie’s List in 2019.

“Service pros that receive our Angie’s List Super Service Award represent the best in our network, who are consistently making great customer service their mission,” said Angie’s List Founder Angie Hicks. “These pros have provided exceptional service to our members and absolutely deserve recognition for the exemplary customer service they exhibited in the past year.”

Angie’s List Super Service Award 2019 winners have met strict eligibility requirements, which include maintaining an “A” rating in overall grade, recent grade and review period grade. The SSA winners must be in good standing with Angie’s List and undergo additional screening.

The Electric Connection has been listed on Angie’s List since 2005. This is the 15 year The Electric Connection has received this honor.

Service company ratings are updated continually on Angie’s List as new, verified consumer reviews are submitted. Companies are graded on an A through F scale in multiple fields ranging from price to professionalism to punctuality.

For over two decades Angie’s List has been a trusted name for connecting consumers to top-rated service professionals. Angie’s List provides unique tools and support designed to improve the local service experience for both consumers and service professionals.

###

The Electric Connection of Los Angeles has been providing homeowners and businesses alike with expert electrical services for over 35 Years. We’ve built a company of highly experienced, certified electricians to serve your electrical needs. There’s plenty of competition throughout Los Angeles, but we make it our policy to treat our customers the way we would want to be treated. That has gained us a great reputation. We’ll provide you with quality work at honest prices.